Windscreen wiper device

ABSTRACT

A windscreen wiper device comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes opposing longitudinal grooves on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves spaced-apart longitudinal strips of the carrier element are disposed, wherein neighboring ends of said longitudinal strips are interconnected by a respective connecting piece, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for an oscillating wiper arm, as well as a spoiler, a special feature of which is that the spoiler as a separate constructional element is detachably connected to the wiper blade.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application which claims priority toU.S. application Ser. No. 10/476,929, filed Apr. 19, 2004, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,581,277 and is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

NONE

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to a windscreen wiper device comprising anelastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper bladeof a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with thewindscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes opposing longitudinalgrooves on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves spaced-apartlongitudinal strips of the carrier element are disposed, whereinneighboring ends of said longitudinal strips are interconnected by arespective connecting piece, which windscreen wiper device comprises aconnecting device for an oscillating wiper arm, as well as a spoiler.Such a spoiler is also called an “air deflector”.

2. Related Art

Such a windscreen wiper device is generally known. The prior artwindscreen wiper device is in particular designed as a “yokeless” wiperdevice, wherein use is no longer made of several yokes pivotallyconnected to each other, but wherein the wiper blade is biased by thecarrier element, as a result of which it exhibits a specific curvature.The spoiler and the wiper blade of the known windscreen wiper device aremade in one piece.

Windscreen wiper devices actually used on cars fitted with windscreensexhibiting some degree of curvature are sometimes subjected to a liftingeffect at high speeds, which prevents the windscreen from being wipedcorrectly. This lifting effect is due to the following aerodynamicphenomenon. Streams of air along the car tend to escape verticallyupwards along the axis of the car. Near the sides of the curvedwindscreen, however, the streams of air tend to pass horizontally alongthe sides. These steams of air create, mainly in the zones in which thewindscreen wiper device meets them perpendicularly, a reduced pressureabove the windscreen wiper device and an increased pressure between thewindscreen and the windscreen wiper device. The resulting pressure, inspite of the mechanical pressure applied by the arm of the windscreenwiper device, causes the latter to lift away towards the front of thewindscreen, thereby deteriorating the wiping pattern at higher drivingspeeds.

A disadvantage of the known windscreen wiper device is that the spoilerand the wiper blade are made in one piece: every car has its ownspecific aerodynamic characteristics, so that a specific windshieldwiper with an integrated spoiler has to be designed and manufacture foreach type of car. Obviously this requires the use of complex machinery,tools, with all the expenses involved. A further drawback is thatreplacement (because of wear) of the wiper blade automatically impliesthe replacement of the spoiler.

It is an object of the invention to obviate these disadvantages, in thesense that at minimum cost a windshield wiper device comprising aspoiler is proposed which can be mounted on all windshield wipers ofdifferent cars, without the use of complex machinery and additionaltools being required. It is noted that the present invention is notrestricted to windscreen wiper devices for cars, but that it alsorelates to windscreen wiper devices for rail coaches and all other(fast) vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to accomplish that objective, a windscreen wiper device of thekind referred to in the introduction is characterized in that thespoiler as a separate constructional element is detachably connected tothe wiper blade. In particular said spoiler comprises on opposite sidesof the connecting device a subspoiler being detachably connected to thewiper blade. The use of two subspoilers ensures a great rigidity of thespoiler.

In one preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according tothe invention, said spoiler comprises clamping means which engage roundlongitudinal sides of said longitudinal strips that face away from eachother. In another preferred embodiment said spoiler comprises clampingmeans which engage round longitudinal edges of said wiper blade thatface away from each other. Preferably said spoiler and said clampingmeans are made in one piece.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device accordingto the invention, said connecting pieces are clamping members, whichform separate constructional elements. In particular, said connectingpieces are form-locked or force-locked to the adjacent ends of thelongitudinal strips.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device accordingto the invention, said connecting pieces are in one piece with saidlongitudinal strips.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device accordingto the invention, at least said longitudinal strips are made of springband material, preferably steel.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device accordingto the invention, said connecting device comprises clamping members,which engage round longitudinal sides of said longitudinal strips thatface away from each other. In particular, said connecting device andsaid clamping members are made in one piece.

The invention furthermore relates to a method for manufacturing awindscreen wiper device according to the invention, wherein opposinglongitudinal grooves are formed in the longitudinal sides of anelongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed inabutment with a windscreen to be wiped, in which grooves longitudinalstrips of a carrier element are subsequently fitted in spaced-apartrelationship, wherein neighboring ends of said longitudinal strips areinterconnected by a respective connecting piece, characterized in that aspoiler as a separate constructional element is detachably fitted ontothe wiper blade.

THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference tofigures illustrated in a drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically the flow of streams of air along thewindscreen of a car;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a standard windscreen wiper device in a positionparallel to the streams of air;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the same windscreen wiper device, but in aposition at right angles to the streams of air;

FIG. 4 illustrates the forces due to the tangential streams of airacting on the standard windscreen wiper blade;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a schematical and a perspective view, respectively,of a windscreen wiper device according to two preferred embodiments ofthe invention; and

FIG. 7 is a total perspective, schematic view of the windscreen wiperdevice of FIGS. 5 and 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the front portion of a car providedwith a curved windscreen A, together with the direction of flow of thestreams of air, the latter passing the vehicle upwards and along thesides. In a zone in which a windscreen wiper device of the usualstandard form is positioned parallel to the streams of air, as shown inFIG. 2, nothing unusual occurs; on the other hand, in a zone as shown inFIG. 3, in which the streams of air flow practically at right angles tothe direction of the windscreen wiper device, this air cannot flow alongthe glass because of the wiper blade, and thus creates an increase inpressure (indicated by the + sign). Such an increased pressure alsoexists in the region of the hollow profile comprised between the flangesof the frame C directed towards the windscreen. These flanges createfurther obstacles to the flow of air and assist in maintaining theincreased pressure. In addition, the streams of air which pass round thewindscreen wiper device towards the upstream side tend to move away fromthe surface and create a reduced pressure zone (indicated by the −sign), as is well known. These two forces Fx and Fz (which can becompared with the drag and the lift acting on a wing section) have aresultant R which tends to lift the windscreen wiper device against themechanical pressure applied by the arm (see FIG. 4).

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a preferred variant of a windscreen wiper device 1according to the invention. Said windscreen wiper device is built up ofan elastomeric wiper blade 2, in the longitudinal sides of whichopposing longitudinal grooves 3 are formed, and of longitudinal strips 4made of spring band steel, which are fitted in said longitudinal grooves3. Said strips 4 form a flexible carrier element or carrier for therubber wiper blade 2, as it were, which is thus biased in a curvedposition (the curvature in operative position being that of a windscreento be wiped). Neighboring ends 5 of strips 4 are interconnected oneither side of the windscreen wiper device 1 by means of connectingpieces 6 functioning as clamping members. In this embodiment, theconnecting pieces 6 are separate constructional elements or end caps,which may be form-locked as well as force-locked to the ends 5 of strips4. In another preferred variant, said connecting pieces 6 are in onepiece with the strips 4 made of spring band steel. In the latter casesaid connecting pieces form transverse bridges for the strips 4, as itwere.

The windscreen wiper device 1 is further more built up of a connectingdevice 7 of plastic material for an oscillating wiper arm 8. Connectingdevice 7 comprises clamping members 9 that are integral therewith, whichengage round longitudinal sides 10 of the strips 4 that face away fromeach other, as a result of which the connecting device 7 is firmlyattached to the unit consisting of wiper blade 2 and strips 4. Theoscillating wiper arm 8 is pivotally connected to the connecting device7 about a pivot axis near one end.

Both preferred embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 according to the inventioncomprise a spoiler 11 including two separate subspoilers 12 beingdetachably connected to the wiper blade 2 on opposite sides of theconnecting device 7. The subspoilers 12 are made of an elastomericmaterial, rubber for example, and they are provided with clamping means13 made in one piece therewith. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 5the clamping means 13 engage round longitudinal sides 10 of thelongitudinal strips 4 that face away from each other, whereas in theembodiment of FIG. 6 the clamping means 13 engage around longitudinallaterally extending edges 14 of the wiper blade 2 that face away fromeach other. Of course, it is also possible for the clamping means toengage round other longitudinal laterally extending edges 15 of thewiper blade 2 that face away from each other.

FIG. 7 shows a total perspective, schematic view of the windscreen wiperdevice of FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein corresponding parts have beendesignated with the same reference numerals.

It will be seen from FIGS. 5-7 that the connecting device 7 is securedto the carrier 4 at a location spaced between the end caps 6. Theconnecting device has longitudinally oppositely facing abutment surfaces7 a and 7 b, and the end caps 6 have longitudinally inwardly facingabutment surfaces 6 a, 6 b that face toward and are spaced from theabutment surfaces 7 b, 7 a of the connecting device 7, respectfully, andwhich define a longitudinal space of predetermined length between theconnecting device abutment surfaces 7 b, 7 a and each of the respectiveend cap abutment surfaces 6 a and 6 b.

The subspoilers 12 span at least the majority of the length of the spaceand thus at least substantially span the longitudinal space between theabutment surfaces of the connecting device 7 and end caps 6. Thesubspoilers 12 each have abutment surfaces 12 a, 12 b at their oppositeends that are adjacent to and directly face (i.e., are positioned sothey would confront) the abutment surfaces of the connecting device andend caps, respectfully, but which are spaced longitudinally from theassociated abutment surfaces of the connecting device 7 and end caps 6,as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and best illustrated in FIG. 7, by virtue ofthe subspoilers 12 being shorter in length between their abutmentsurfaces 12 a, 12 b than the longitudinal spacing between the abutmentsurfaces 7 a, 6 b and 7 b, 6 a of the connecting device and end caps 6.The spacing between the subspoilers 12 and the abutment surfaces 6 a, 6b and 7 a, 7 b of the end caps 6 and connecting device 7, along with thedetachable (i.e., not fixedly attached) subspoiler connection, allow thesubspoilers 12 to flex and move with the changing bending curvature ofthe wiper assembly, as illustrated by a comparison for FIG. 7 and FIGS.5 and 6.

The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with therelevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather thanlimiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosedembodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do comewithin the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of legalprotection afforded this invention can only be determined by studyingthe following claims.

1. A windscreen wiper device comprising: a flexible, elongated carrierelement; an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can beplaced in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, said wiper bladeextending between longitudinally opposite ends and including opposinglongitudinal grooves formed on longitudinal sides thereof, said carrierelement including spaced-apart longitudinal strips disposed in saidgrooves and interconnected by a respective connecting piece at oppositeneighboring ends of said strips; a connecting device for an oscillatingwiper arm attached to said carrier element; and a spoiler formed as aseparate element from that of said wiper blade; said spoiler includingtwo subspoilers constructed from separate pieces of material from oneanother, each of said subspoilers being disposed on opposite sides ofsaid connecting device, wherein each subspoiler extends substantiallyfrom said connecting device substantially to a respective one of saidconnecting pieces, and wherein each subspoiler is connected to saidlongitudinal strips of said carrier element and is detachable therefromindependent of the attachment of said connecting device to said carrierelement.
 2. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein saidspoiler comprises clamping features which detachably engage longitudinalsides of said longitudinal strips that face away from each other.
 3. Awindscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said connectingpieces are clamping members, which form separate constructionalelements.
 4. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 3, whereinsaid connecting pieces are form-locked or force-locked to the adjacentends of said longitudinal strips.
 5. A windscreen wiper device accordingto claim 1, wherein said longitudinal strips are made of spring bandmaterial.
 6. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, whereinsaid connecting device comprises clamping members, which engagelongitudinal sides of said longitudinal strips that face away from eachother.
 7. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 6, wherein saidconnecting device and said clamping members are made in one piece.
 8. Awindscreen wiper device, comprising: an elastic, elongated carrierelement extending between opposite ends; an elongated wiper bladeoperably attached to said carrier element; a connecting device forattachment to an oscillating wiper arm; and a spoiler formed as aseparate piece of material from said wiper blade, said spoiler includingsubspoilers constructed of separate pieces of material from one anotherdisposed on opposite sides of said connecting device and extendingsubstantially from said connecting device substantially to a respectiveone of said opposite ends of said carrier element, said subspoilersbeing detachably connected to said carrier element.
 9. The windscreenwiper device of claim 8 further comprising connecting pieces attached tosaid opposite ends of said carrier element, said subspoilers extendingsubstantially to said connecting pieces.
 10. The windscreen wiper deviceof claim 8 wherein said carrier element includes longitudinal stripsspaced from one another.
 11. The windscreen wiper device of claim 10wherein said wiper blade has longitudinally extending sides withlongitudinal grooves formed therein, said longitudinal strips of saidcarrier element being disposed in said grooves.
 12. A windscreen wiperdevice, comprising: a longitudinally extending wiper blade; a carrierthat is self-biased into a pre-curved shape and which extendslongitudinally between opposite ends, said carrier operativelysupporting and biasing said wiper blade into a pre-curved configurationand extending beyond laterally opposite sides of said wiper blade; endcaps secured to said carrier at said opposite ends; a connecting devicesecured to said carrier at a location between and spaced from said endcaps for connection with a wiper arm; and a pair of subspoilersconstructed as separate pieces from one another, from said wiper bladeand from said end caps, said subspoilers arranged on longitudinallyopposite sides of said connecting device and substantially spanning thespace between said connecting device and each of said end caps, and eachsubspoiler having clamping edge portions that wrap around and releasablysecure said subspoilers to said carrier.
 13. The windscreen wiper deviceof claim 12, wherein said connecting device limits movement of saidsubspoilers.
 14. The windscreen wiper device of claim 12, wherein saidreleasably attached subspoilers are slidable relative to said carrierand said wiper blade.